Mac Corner: Moving files from your PC to your new Mac Part 2

  
By Larry Grinnell, Palm Beach Phoenix Apple Users Group

larry grinnellA few weeks ago, I told you one way to transfer files from your PC to your new Macintosh using your network. Probably a little tough for a novice user. This time, I’ll try to make it a little easier.

The first method can be accomplished with several different types of media:

— Portable hard disk drives.

— USB memory sticks.

— Memory cards (SD or CF, for example.)

 Portable hard disk drive – the first thing we need to do is format the portable hard disk drive. You can do this on your PC, or on your Mac, using the Disk Utility application (which can be found in the Applications folder). The only disk format that is compatible on both systems is MS-DOS (FAT).  

If using a Mac, plug the external USB drive into one of the unused USB ports on your Mac. Launch Disk Utility. Click the drive name of the external USB disk drive in the list of drives located on the left side of the application’s window. Next, click the Erase tab at the top of the Disk Utility application window. Click and drag down the Volume Format list and select MS-DOS (FAT). Click the Erase button to begin the operation. In a few minutes, the reformatted drive should mount on your Mac’s desktop.  

If formatting this drive on your Windows machine, follow the instructions in your Windows machine’s help system, as the procedure will vary depending upon which operating system your PC is using (Windows XP, Windows 98, Windows Vista, etc.), except to note that there can be more than one type of FAT depending upon which Windows OS you are using.  

For the best compatibility, format using the FAT-32 format. One caveat with FAT-32 is that no single file can be bigger than 4GB. This is only an issue with large backup files or big video files. If you have issues such as this, you may need to format your hard drive on a Windows machine with the NTFS (NT File System) file format. The good news is that Macs running MacOS X can read NTFS disks. The bad news is that Macs running MacOS X cannot write NTFS disks.  

If you need to write to an NTFS-formatted disk, do a Google search for “NTFS Mac” and you’ll find a number of options. 

Okay, you now have an external hard disk drive formatted with the FAT (file allocation table) or NTFS disk format. Plug it into your Windows machine’s USB port and copy the files you wish to move to your Mac to the external hard disk drive. This can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours, depending upon how much data needs to be transferred.  

When complete, unmount the external USB hard disk drive from your Windows machine by right-clicking the USB device in the system tray and selecting “Safely Remove Hardware.” When the Safely Remove Hardware window is displayed, select the “USB Mass Storage Device” and click “Stop.” When the message “Safe to Remove Hardware” message is displayed, unplug the external USB hard disk drive’s USB cable from the Windows machine. 

Now, plug this external disk drive USB cable into an empty USB port on your Mac. In a few moments, the drive icon should mount on your desktop. Double-click the drive icon. You should see the files you just copied to the drive when it was plugged into the Windows machine.  

Create a new folder on your Mac (File>New Folder). Click inside the external USB disk drive window. Go to the Edit>Select All menu item. All the files and folders should highlight. Click and drag the files to the folder you just created on your Mac. In a few minutes to a few hours, the files should all make it over. There might be problems with excessively long filenames, or names with illegal characters, but most of those problems occur when going from the Mac to a Windows machine.  

USB Memory Stick (jump drive) – The instructions are virtually identical as using an external USB hard disk drive except that you may need to copy the files in multiple steps, because of the smaller storage capabilities of a jump drive. 

Memory Cards – Again, the instructions are virtually identical as using a jump drive, except that you may need to purchase an inexpensive USB memory card reader device if either or both computers don’t have a built-in card reader. It plugs into an unused USB port and simply works on either platform. No drivers or other issues.  

Once plugged in, just plug your Compact Flash or SD card into the card reader, copy the contents from the Windows machine to the memory card, disconnect the card reader from the Windows machine using the “Safely Remove Hardware” procedure (above), and then plug into a spare USB port on your Macintosh. Copy the files as previously described. 

There you have it. Three more easy ways to get your files from your Windows machine to your Mac, and that’s it until next week.

Mac Corner runs every Wednesday only in Palm Beach Business.com. Click to read the previous column.

About Larry Grinnell: Larry has been working with Macintosh and Windows PCs for over 25 years and worked as a senior technical writer and IT support professional for a major midwest-based consumer electronics and telecommunications equipment manufacturer here in South Florida. His musings on a wide variety of topics from computers to jazz guitar to strange foreign cars from the 1950s can be viewed at the MyMac.com website. Click here to reach him by email.

palm beach phoenix logoWriters of this column are members of the Palm Beach Phoenix Apple User Group, a nonprofit organization for Apple Computing Device Users, recognized by Apple Inc., with the purpose of providing educational training and coaching to its members (students, professionals and seniors alike) in a cordial social environment. The club meets the second Saturday (1-4 p.m.) and fourth Wednesday (6-8 p.m.) of each month at the Fire Station #2, 4301 Dixie Highway in West Palm Beach (just two block south of Southern Boulevard). Click here to visit their website. Click here to reach them by email.

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